1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to transportation systems and apparatus, and more particularly to a disposable medical container for the hypothermic transport of donor organs used for transplantation medical procedures.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
In the past, it has been the conventional procedure to remove a donor organ, such as a kidney, heart or the like, followed by storage of the organ in an iced container which is then transported to another location for implantation into the body of a recipient. This procedure requires manual handling or manipulation of the organ followed by introduction of the organ into the storage container and subsequent removal of the organ from the container preparatory for the transplantation. A sterile environment during storage as well as during the handling of the organ is of utmost concern and maintenance of a proper temperature of tissues during transport is required in order to maintain tissue integrity. Various storage containers have been provided for shipping or transporting the removed organ from place to place and generally take the form of expensive and complex arrangement of compartments for holding the organ, receiving a cooling medium, such as ice, and for handling the container after storage of the organ. Such a container is not disposable and does not permit visual inspection of the organ either during transportation or at the site of implantation. Therefore, the inspection of organ tissue by attendant physicians or personnel is not possible and only a low degree of sterility control is available.
Therefore, a long standing need has existed to provide a unique transportation apparatus and system for body organs which permit the hypothermic transport of donor organs and which will permit a high degree of sterility control, as well as for visual inspection of organ tissue during transportation and particularly immediately prior to a transplantation procedure.